Mashrabiya work is a sophisticated wood work and at the same time,very beautiful. It is used mainly in decorating windows from outside but it can also be used inside the house as well. It was first used in the Islamic period in Egypt and flourished during the Fatimid Period. Today, Mashrabiya is primarily decorative, but historically it might be considered an early form of tented windows. It allowed someone from the inside to look out without being seen. Hence, the mashrabiya screens were frequently used to cover the windows of the women's quarters within homes, as well as for other similar purposes. And though mashrabiya screens are closely associated with the Islamic culture, their use was certainly not restricted to that culture. Mashrabiya screens were particularly suitable to Egypt, where quality wood is in short supply, but small trees could be cut up into the pieces needed for mashrabiya work. Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/mashrabiya.htm